Queen's University gather homegrown talent in heartfelt tribute to the NHS

Date

29th April 2020

As the world has ground to a halt, we are all learning quickly those pieces of our lives that we took for granted; whether it’s the feeling of being able to embrace your friends and family or something as simple as being able to nip to the shops without a 20 minute queue!

For us at Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall, we recognise the uplifting power of music and how it transcends language to resonate with each of us individually and our friends at Queen’s University, Belfast are no different. They have been working with local musicians to record a message of hope, showing their support in the fight against COVID-19 and are fundraising for life-changing research at Queen's University, Belfast for survivors of coronavirus.

We’ve all witnessed the amazing work that QUB have done in driving forward research throughout this pandemic and now it’s our opportunity to give back

By donating to Queen’s University, we are ensuring that survivors of Coronavirus can benefit from the design and delivery of an effective rehabilitation programme, focusing on optimal care for the physical and mental well-being of each person.

Although we are unable to host world-class acts, we can take part in supporting the wonderful homegrown talent our city and Northern Ireland has to offer by sharing this video and enjoying virtual live music from the comfort of our homes. You may recognise some of the faces, as they have performed on our iconic Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall stages over the years.

Bringing the king to life, Elvis tribute artist Jim Brown had the audience all shook up at his incredible performance in the Waterfront Hall in 2016. Country music star Derek Ryan graced the Ulster Hall stage in February of this year. Brian Kennedy performed in the Waterfront Hall in 2004, where he sang Van Morrisons ‘Crazy Love’ and ‘Have I Told You Lately’. The extremely talented NiamhKavanagh was a special guest at the Illegals show in December 2019 and for many years, Peter Corry, brought his Christmas show The Music Box to Waterfront Hall where he performed with schools from across the country. To see the full list of artists visit the Queen’s website.

Many professors at Queen’s University are familiar faces at our venues from the conferencing side of the business. ICC Belfast work closely with Visit Belfast and the Belfast and Northern Ireland Ambassador Programme, which recognises the efforts of Belfast’s academic, medical and business leaders who help secure major conference and event wins for the city. We are extremely grateful for their dedication and hard work and we want to support everyone at Queen’s in all their fundraising efforts.

Queen’s express their gratitude to Petra Ellis and Cormac O’Kane for choosing to convene their talented musical friends in order to create this video. Petra said “I got together with Cormac O'Kane who contacted a few of their musical friends and asked them if they'd like to take part in a heartfelt tribute to the NHS. The original song Broken Land was a huge hit in 1988 for the Belfast band The Adventures. The writer of the song, Pat Gribben, agreed to rewrite the lyrics to suit the current situation.”.

In times like these, the power of Belfast is incredible and together we can heal this broken land

This heartfelt tribute to NHS workers and all key workers is truly amazing. If funds are raised in excess of £200,000, they will be donated to the Queen’s University Belfast Rapid Response Innovation Fund, which is used to support the area of greatest need, including providing start-up funding for other COVID-19 related research projects. To listen to the full song, visit Queen’s University YouTube Channel and to donate, please click here.

Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall look forward to a time when we’re able to come together again to enjoy the best of Belfast’s live entertainment. Until then, we must work together to take care of ourselves, our families and communities safe and protect the NHS.

Remember, we are on a pause and not a stop. Belfast is #InThisTogether, we must take a united approach that keeps safety and well-being at the forefront.